The Zombie Survival Guide
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Author | Max Brooks |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Max Werner |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Zombies |
| Genre(s) | Humour |
| Publisher | Three Rivers Press |
| Released | September 16, 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 272 |
| ISBN | 1400049628 |
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead, published in 2003, is a fictitious survival manual that deals with the potentiality of an undead attack. Its author, Max Brooks, lays out detailed plans for the average citizen to survive zombie uprisings of varying intensity.
Contents |
[edit] Chapters
The book is divided up into seven separate chapters, including an appendix, as follows:
- I. The Undead: Myths and Realities
- II. Weapons and Combat Techniques
- III. On the Defense
- IV. On the Run
- V. On the Attack
- VI. Living in an Undead World
- VII. Recorded Attacks
- Appendix: Outbreak Journal
[edit] Realities
This chapter lays down the specific ground rules that are referenced repeatedly in the book. The most important of these describes Solanum, the fictional virus that creates zombies, along with how it is spread, treatment of the infected, and why the zombie infection does not spread to non-human creatures.
Much of this first chapter is spent in describing specific abilities and attributes zombies possess. Everything from sensory perception, physiological processes, and behavioral patterns are explored in detail. Through these explanations, many myths and beliefs about the nature of zombies are debunked. For example, zombies have very keen senses because they instinctively do not rely on a single one (as opposed to the human dependency on sight as the primary sense). It is because of this, not through magic or telepathy, that zombies appear to be able to detect human presence from great distances.
Included in the chapter are guidelines as to how to differentiate between Brooks' zombie (Solanum-infected) and a Voodoo zombie (brain dead individuals). In short, the primary differences between the two is that Solanum-infected zombies are completely devoid of uniquely human traits like emotions, language, and intelligence. Voodoo zombies, on the other hand, are capable of the aforementioned albeit in a very limited and rather insufficient manner due to their severely damaged brain cells.
Finally, Brooks explains the four different levels of zombie attacks ranging from the tiny Class 1 (rural outbreak) to the doomsday-like Class 4 (global zombie takeover). Along these lines, Brooks then provides pointers on how to discover when an outbreak is happening by studying the news carefully and reading well between the lines.
[edit] Weapons and Combat Techniques
The second chapter takes an exhaustive look at the myriad weapons at the reader's disposal, and weighs them against the various threats that may be faced during confrontations with the undead.
Repeatedly stressed throughout the chapter is that there need only be two distinct qualities when looking for a weapon to fight zombies with: weight-power ratio and practicality. With some thought and common sense, these two traits make perfect sense when trying to select the best weapons for survival in a hostile environment.
When the single guiding strategy for survival is mobility (also preached by Brooks), having light weapons that can deal significant damage with minimum effort expended will be a godsend in any combat situation. Further, when the same weapon doubles as a tool for any important job, the item is all the more valuable on and off the field.
Finally, individuals should always strive to be in good physical shape and possess some proficiency in their acquired or preferred weapons.
[edit] Mêlée Weapons
Blunt weapons are very common and rather practical in destroying zombie brains. Most weapons, however, lack the striking power or durability to consistently crack skulls open. Suggested weapons include hammers and sledgehammers, though the item best suited for the job is a crowbar since it meets the two most important weapon qualities needed.
Edged weapons have a huge advantage over blunt weapons in that they can decapitate zombies, thereby ceasing their mobility, although the head can still bite and is thus still a threat. Additionally, severing limbs makes any surviving zombies that much less of a threat if there is a more urgent target that requires immediate attention. Of these, axes, hatchets, knives, and swords are recommended. The Japanese Katana and Roman Gladius stand out as the best for decapitation and tight quarters, respectively. The machete, however, is noted as being the best all-around edged weapon because of its utility and availability.
Weapons that receive special mention in this section include the Shaolin spade and how it can be used as a multi-purpose tool for fighting as well as agricultural uses. Trench spikes are, according to Brooks, perhaps the best close combat weapon for fighting zombies thanks to its killing speed and efficiency.
[edit] Ranged Weapons
To kill silently and without attracting attention should be the major motivation to use such weapons. In this case, efficiency takes on even more importance since not only ammunition or rounds tend to be limited, but the effectiveness of the weapon is heavily dependent on the skill of the user. Usage of slingshots, shuriken, and bow are generally frowned upon due to the great amount of skill needed to use them successfully.
[edit] Firearms
When choosing a firearm, there is only one all-important rule to follow - "one shot, one kill." Reasons for this are twofold: conservation of ammunition is paramount and (running counter to the "more shots" ideology) it only takes one shot to the zombie's brain to kill them outright. Following this guideline, hunting rifles, World War II-era rifles like the British Lee-Enfield and the German Karabiner 98 as well as American weapons of this era such as the M1 Garand and the M-60 are some of the best choices out there.
[edit] On the Defensive
As the chapter's name suggests, this portion of The Zombie Survival Guide is focused on remaining stationary in an undead ambush. Relevant to only Class-1 or -2 outbreaks, advice is dispensed in regards to how the reader can fortify their home (either single- or two-story), as well as what equipment should be kept on hand. A number of non-residential locales, such as schools, shopping malls, and churches, are taken into consideration, though shopping malls and churches are considered unsafe refuge due to both high traffic and difficulty to barricade (other areas to avoid are hospitals, police stations and supermarkets). Advice is dispensed on what activities to avoid in the makeshift fortification to ensure the undead are not attracted to its location.
For a Class-3 outbreak, a makeshift fortress is recommended. A list of potential buildings is given, along with instructions on fortifying such a position.
[edit] On the Run
Chapter four deals with how to avoid the undead while traveling. Brooks generally advises the reader to follow a roundabout route when navigating areas rife with zombies, saying that "crossing an infected area is generally the most dangerous thing you can do."
Due to the lack of access to a base of operations, suggestions for food rations and equipment necessary are scaled back for the sake of mobility, which gains more importance in such a situation. Mental and physical training is suggested prior to a group of survivors leaving their safe house. As in the previous chapter, readers are advised to avoid the zombies when possible rather than engage them in combat.
Though the guide assumes the reader is preparing for a trek on foot, it also considers the tactical advantages and disadvantages of several other means of transportation, including sedans, SUVs, bicycles, and horses. Additional advice covers the various terrain types (see below) that the reader might encounter in their expedition, as well as specific sections dealing with aerial and aquatic modes of transportation.
[edit] Terrain types
The following terrain types are referenced throughout chapters four, five, and six.
[edit] On the Attack
While chapters three and four emphasized avoiding the undead, chapter five is specifically about engaging ghouls to ensure their destruction.
The first portion of this chapter outlines several rules to be followed to allow for a successful threat elimination. Also covered are weapons and transportation. As this chapter recommends that zombie destruction squads launch from a primary base of operations (presumably with a sizable supply cache), equipment requirements are much lower, and advice presented in the previous chapter in regards to vehicles (with the emphasis on stealth) is reversed to match the shift of priorities.
Additional advice is given for various anti-zombie strategies, as well as specifics for securing the various terrain types listed above. Extra advice is given for subaquatic undead eradication.
[edit] Living in an Undead World
Billed as a doomsday scenario, a Class-4 outbreak would see battle for humanity's survival shift in the zombies' favor, much like the zombie-infested world that can be observed in Land of the Dead. Advice for this section is adapted from previous sections; recommendations for surviving a siege is repeated, though altered for relevancy to the long-term entrenchment a Class-4 outbreak represents.
The Zombie Survival Guide recommends putting together a team before a zombie outbreak; by pooling resources, a group can construct and stock a more secure bunker and purchase more land farther away from possible infestation zones. Aside from the physical conditioning mentioned in chapter four, additional preventive measures involve substantial reading and studying, primarily in form of other survival guides, but also in history (such as early European American colonists) and psychology; to round out a library, fictional survival stories (such as Robinson Crusoe) are also recommended.
Stealth is emphasized more in this chapter than in previous sections, with strict guidelines recommended to protect the reader both from the undead and from rogue humans who might prove untrustworthy. Once again, various terrain types are examined; the reader is recommended to build their fortress in the harshest conditions possible, to further reduce the risk of ghoul attack.
The aftermath of a Class-4 outbreak is the premise of Brooks' follow-up book, World War Z.
[edit] Recorded Attacks
The guide concludes with a fictional list of documented zombie encounters throughout history, ranging from mere anecdotes to full-blown infestations. Several entries run together, with a lone zombie "survivor" from one outbreak traveling a great distance to start another outbreak hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Not all of these connected entries are chronologically contiguous, however. Several entries relate anecdotes where the subject has run across a locale whose outbreak occurred dozens of years before their arrival; one minor outbreak was sparked by the thawing of a zombie Cossack, victim of an outbreak that happened 415 years ago, which was also described in an entry. The oldest entry is 60,000 BC, in Katanda, Central Africa, although the author expresses doubt to its validity. Instead, he presents evidence from 3000 BC in Hieraconpolis, Egypt as the first verifiable instance of a zombie outbreak. The most recent entry is 2002, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
[edit] Appendix
The Appendix takes the form of a sample "Outbreak Journal," with the fictional author noting a covered-up zombie outbreak being seen on the local news. The following pages are blank entries, presumably for the reader to use as a basis for their own journal; their inclusion furthers the overall feel that the book is a survival guide to a real life-threatening possibility.
[edit] Solanum
The guide attributes the zombie outbreaks described to the virus "Solanum" (not to be confused with the plant genus). The virus is said to be neither waterborne or airborne; the only way to become infected is through direct fluidic contact, in which context the virus is 100% communicable, with a 100% mortality rate. Although the virus is most commonly transmitted through zombie bites, it is also possible to be infected through mucosal contact with the blood or entrails of an infected individual. The guide also states that it is theoretically possible to be infected through sexual contact with a zombie, but that there are as yet no records of any such incident. In Brooks' follow-up novel World War Z, it is documented that infection can also occur through organ transplant from a zombie, although the infection process took longer. It should be noted that the Solanum virus is not mentioned by name in World War Z, but is highly suspected. Instead, it is casually refered to "African Rabies".
[edit] How it works
Solanum is described as traveling through the bloodstream, from the initial point of entry to the brain, where it uses the cells of the frontal lobe to replicate itself (and destroys these cells in the process). During this period, all bodily functions cease; by stopping the heart, the subject is rendered "dead". The brain remains alive, but dormant, while the virus mutates its cells into a completely new organ. The most critical trait of this new organ is its independence from oxygen. By removing the need for this all-important resource, the undead brain can utilize, but is no way dependent on, the complex support mechanism of the human body. Once this mutation is complete, this new organ reanimates the body into a form that bears little resemblance (physiologically speaking) to the original corpse. Some bodily functions remain constant, others operate in a modified capacity, and the remainder shut down completely. This new organism is a zombie, a member of the living dead.
[edit] Cross-species infection
The guide states that through numerous tests, Solanum has been proven fatal to all species; however, reanimation will only occur in humans. Infected animal carcasses are safe to handle a few hours after death. Tests have also proven that infection through insect bites such as those from mosquitoes is not possible; insects are able to sense and reject the infected fluids.
[edit] Symptoms
- Hour 1: Pain and discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area. Immediate clotting of the wound (provided the infection came from a wound).
- Hour 5: Fever (99-103° F), chills, slight dementia, vomiting, acute pains in the joints.
- Hour 8: Numbing of extremities and infected area, increased fever (103-106° F), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination.
- Hour 11: Paralysis in the lower body, overall numbness, slowed heart rate.
- Hour 16: Coma
- Hour 20: Heart stops. Zero brain activity.
- Hour 23: Reanimation.
[edit] Cultural appeal
As a primarily niche-oriented piece of fiction, The Zombie Survival Guide appeals largely to two groups:
[edit] Humor fans
The book's humor is derived from its deadpan delivery and general style of parody of the survival books that were popular at the time it came out, like Army Survival Manuals. While examining the menace that zombies represent in great detail, from the biological makeup of a zombie to anti-zombie tactics in different strategic situations, the book never alludes to considering its subject as anything less than a real, plausible threat to mankind.
Throughout the book, unnamed "research" is cited as the backup for most arguments, though individual events (as listed in the Recorded Attacks chapter) are also cited where relevant. The reader is frequently warned that the advice is ignored at the reader's own peril, with the end result of "cold hands gripping your arm and dirty, worn teeth biting into your flesh," supposedly being a very real possibility.
[edit] Zombie fans
The book attempts to definitively state the rules for zombie-related canon. Clarified subjects include:
- How zombies are created
- Why exactly zombies can only be killed by damage done to the head
- Why zombies are unaffected by standard offensive tactics
- Why zombies qualify as "undead"
Presented facts are largely compatible with concepts seen in various zombie films, adding another level of authenticity for fans of the genre.
[edit] See also
- World War Z
- How to Survive a Robot Uprising - A similarily styled book on how to deal with rebellious robots.
- Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency
- Zombie Squad
